Visitor Services Member- Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Visitor Services Support Member- Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Summary American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking 1 Member to contribute to visitor services projects under the mentorship of Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: January 2026

Estimated End Date: July 2026

* a 26-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 1040 hours*

Location Details/

Description:

Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kilauea, HI

Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is located on the northern-most point of the main Hawaiian Islands on a portion of the former Kīlauea volcanic vent and includes spectacular views from atop a 180-foot ocean bluff.

The Refuge is the best place in the state to view seabirds rarely seen from land, like the red-footed booby (ʻā in Hawaiian), great frigate bird ('iwa), and Laysan albatross (mōlī). The world's rarest goose and Hawai'i's state bird, the Hawaiian goose (nēnē) is a frequent sight as well. Visitors also have a chance to view spinner dolphins (nai'a), Hawaiian monk seals ('Ilio holo i ka uaua), green sea turtles (honu), and humpback whales (koholā, October - April) in the water below.

Native Hawaiian coastal plants are also abundant.

The Refuge is also home to the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, whose 2nd order bivalve Fresnel lens lit the way for seafarers. The lighthouse is part of the Kīlauea Point Light Station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse played a key role in the first trans-Pacific flight from the West Coast to Hawai'i and has been part of Kaua'i's history since its completion in 1913.

For more information about Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge please visit the FWS website.

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

The member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff in the following tasks:

• Staffing the fee booth
• Following refuge procedures and federal guidelines in collecting entrance fees from visitors
• Selling federal passes and annual refuge passes
• Balancing and accounting for daily receipts in a timely and accurate manner
• Completing daily fee collection accounting procedures
• Assisting the fee program coordinator to improve the efficiency and accountability of the program
• Inspecting and performing routine maintenance on visitor use facilities and equipment
• Assisting with facilities and grounds maintenance activities supporting Visitor Service programs and activities
• Recognizing, acknowledging and responding to the needs of visitors
• Assisting with special events, such as activity stations, logistics in event planning and volunteer coordination
• Assisting with outreach and communication plans for special use permits, refuge management plans, policies, and noteworthy stories
• Assisting with volunteer program administration, recruitment, orientation, and training
• Assisting in the preparation of interpretive/informational materials for use in the refuge complex, for the refuge website and/or for other media applications

Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Tuesday - Saturday (generally from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm). Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours, including over 8-hour work days and working on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to FWS and ACE for approval.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is…